Not Just a Tired Old Seamstress

“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in” (Rosa Parks). Rosa Parks is just one of the many noted activists of her time period. However, she is one of the most influential, and remembered of these activists. We all know about her famous stance and her refusal to give up her seat on that Montgomery bus, but she also did many other time altering things to end the horrible segregation in the world. She was not in fact a “tired old seamstress”, but a strong independent woman who stood up for her rights and beliefs.

Rosa Parks was the first of many to start making a difference in segregation. She was tired of this divide between blacks and whites and refused to let it go on any longer. She started to act on this, and while most people today only hear about her story on the bus, she did so much more than that. She not only stood up for African Americans she stood up for women’s rights, she dedicated her whole life to bettering the future. She was not tired in her ways but being tired of segregation made he stronger in her ways against this segregation.

It is an awful thing that this segregation existed and it was important that it ended as soon as possible, while it is still existing today, it is because of people like Rosa who made the rights of their people fair and equal so their ancestors would not have to put up with what they did. In order to create this change however was to stand up (literally in the case of some) for what they believe in, in the form of civil disobedience, which landed some people like Rosa Parks in jail, because technically at the time what they did was illegal. This however, was worth it for the results that they got, and the fact that their sacrifice made a huge change for the better. This made it all worth the struggles, even though it was terrible that the struggle was needed in the first place.

With segregation growing African Americans needed to stand together to end it. That is exactly what many people did. They stood up or sat down to end this awful divide. Rosa Parks was just one of many who started the domino effect of retaliation and civil disobedience. This was marking a great point in history, where equality was the goal to be achieved and the goal was finally on its way to being reached.

Share this:

Like this:

10 thoughts on “Not Just a Tired Old Seamstress”

It would be very difficult to imagine what our history books would say if Rosa Parks did not take the initiative to stand up for freedom, would the boycott have come to fruition? If no boycott, would MLK been a pivotal spokesperson? If no MLK, would the March on Washington, Selma and other events have occurred? Our history would be completely different and perhaps not for the better. She was an instrumental force that held Montgomery, the south, our government and our laws take notice- Rosa has started a revolution!

Even the smallest action is extremely significant. Her resisting to move launched an entire movement. This just goes to show that you should always stand up for what you believe in even if it may seem like it won’t make an impact, chances are it will.

Rosa Parks was a brave woman that day. She refused to give up her seat to a white man who felt he had every right to make her move because she was simply a black woman. What did it matter? Maybe he just wanted to see her move out of his way, giving himself a feeling of superiority. Maybe he had a habit of making blacks move to the back even if there were other seats available where he could sit. But on that fateful day, everything changed. He met with the wrong woman on the bus. He met with a resilient woman. Her resistance and arrest set off a chain reaction, which caused the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It showed that even a little “tired” seamstress has the power to change the world.

Indeed. The old adage “the right person, in the right place, at the right time, can make all the difference in the world” rings true here. Parks willingness to stand up for herself inspired that same level of defiant resilience in others and urged them forward to fight for their own rights. She really is an amazing figure.

I am not sure where she found such courage and resilience in such despair. It is so difficult to image how anyone would feel when being discriminated in action and words. She is a true inspiration I could not agree more!

If you have ever sat in the bus found in the Henry Ford museum it is definitely something do at some point in your life, it was so amazing to sit in the seats and feel almost as if you are there it sure is a powerful thing.

The African American people did stand together. They had bake sales and went door to door raising money to keep the car pools in operation as they boycotted the buses. White merchants suffered from the boycott, bus drivers were laid off, bus fares were raised to keep the buses in operation. This was a very large operation that the African American people endured for almost a year. That takes determination and dedication.

I have to agree African Americans stood together and fought really hard to make a difference. It amazes me how white merchants didn’t appreciate their business and would rather promote unfairness. I am happy that during the boycott their business suffered.